Silicone fingers, fraudulent timecards, and phantom service

A case worthy of a crime documentary has shocked residents of a small town in Santa Catarina and raised alarms about fraud in the public sector. For over a year, patients seeking dental care at the municipal health post faced long lines, pain, and neglect — while the dentist responsible simply did not show up for work. On paper, however, he appeared to be the perfect employee: never late, always clocked in on time, and fulfilled his 40 weekly hours.

The story began to unravel after increasing complaints from patients. People arriving before dawn hoping for a spot, others waiting for hours with toothaches, yet no one was ever called in. The timecard records said the dentist “was there.” But in reality, he was never seen in the clinic.

Faced with the accusations, the department head launched an investigation. First, they checked the time logs — everything looked perfect. Then they reviewed the security cameras. And that’s when the unbelievable scheme came to light.

The assistant who “became” the dentist

Video footage shows that during the dentist’s scheduled check-in time, the only person entering the timeclock room was his dental assistant. The same assistant who helped during procedures was the one punching in her own time — and then, moments later, punching in the dentist’s time as well, even though he wasn’t anywhere near the building.

This raised a critical question: how was that possible if the timeclock system used biometric fingerprint identification?

The answer caused even more outrage.

Fake silicone fingers

The assistant carried containers with small silicone molds — replicas of fingerprints. When held up to the light, they clearly revealed the patterns used to fool the biometric scanner.

With these “fake fingers,” she registered the dentist’s attendance. Meanwhile, according to investigators, he was working at his private clinic, far from the public health center where he was supposed to be treating patients.

Hours later, the dentist would enter through the back door, pretending he had only stepped out briefly. Security footage obtained by the news team shows him walking straight into the office as if he had been there the whole time.

A year of fraud and loss to the public

Municipal records indicate that the scheme had been running since last May. The dentist and his assistant, both civil servants for over 10 years, were supposed to work 40 hours per week. Instead, they routinely violated their schedules while still receiving full salaries — funded by taxpayers.

After an anonymous tip, the city accessed the camera footage, compared timestamps, and found that the timecard entries did not match the dentist’s physical presence at the facility. The police were called and seized two silicone molds used in the scheme.

Arrest and investigation

The dentist and his assistant were arrested in the act and charged with ideological falsehood (fraudulent insertion of data into a public system) and possible embezzlement, since they received payment for hours not worked. Depending on the legal classification, they could face between 2 and 12 years in prison.

The city opened an internal inquiry, which could result in termination for cause. Forensic investigators are now examining the silicone fingerprints to determine whether other employees were also involved.

Public outrage

The community’s anger is palpable. Residents report enduring pain, delays, and negligence while the dentist falsified his working hours.

Experts interviewed about the case criticized the severity of the crime:

— “This is a crime against the people. Patients went untreated while the professional was somewhere else, and he still received his full salary,” one commentator said.

Some argue that all money obtained illegally should be returned to the public treasury and that any other participants must also be identified.

👊 Silicone fingers, fraudulent timecards, and phantom service

The incident exposes not only flaws in monitoring systems but also the real impact of fraud on public service — where citizens, instead of receiving care and support, were met with closed doors, pain, and a scheme straight out of a crime thriller.